


the care and keeping of mako

by meteor-sword (vaenire)



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:01:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26541055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaenire/pseuds/meteor-sword
Summary: Mako has had a long day.
Relationships: Mako/Prince Wu (Avatar)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 246





	the care and keeping of mako

Wu was sat up in bed, book in hand when he heard the door open and close. He checked the time casually over the top of his reading glasses. Mako’s preferred shift was the 8-4, but he had been switched to the 4-12 for the week, and he was having trouble adjusting. Wu didn’t like it either, with the way Mako stomped into the flat a quarter past midnight, but he made it a point to wait up for him when he could. 

He listened as Mako traipsed through the kitchen, opening and closing cabinets and making himself a small meal. Only half of Wu’s mind was on the book he was reading now-- although he found the millennium old Earth Kingdom philosophy fascinating, he couldn’t help but be distracted by Mako’s movements in the other room. 

He managed to finish a few more pages before the door creaked open slowly, then all at once when Mako realized the nightstand lamp was still on. Wu watched in his peripheral as Mako went to the closet, shedding layers of his uniform and placing them on their hanger, folding his trousers carefully until only his underclothes remained. He pulled out sleep pants from the dresser and removed his undershirt. 

Wu looked back at the page he’d lingered on for a handful of minutes now when Mako turned toward the bed, and was surprised when Mako sat gingerly at the edge of Wu’s side of the bed rather than circling to his own. He sat stiffly, hands holding onto the very edge of the mattress. He looked at his own feet. 

Wu placed his bookmark in its place and closed the book, carefully setting it on the nightstand. 

“Mako?” 

Mako all but flinched at the sound of Wu’s voice, but Wu was sitting up and opening his arms when Mako glanced over his shoulder at him. Wu raised a brow in askance, and Mako nodded stiffly before turning and crawling up to straddle Wu’s legs and let Wu wrap his arms around him. Mako’s face pressed into the crook of Wu’s neck before he could even tilt his head out of the way.

He ran his hands over the smooth skin of Mako’s back, rubbing little circles here and there, and felt as Mako relaxed incrementally. 

“You wanna talk about it, big guy?” 

A single short grunt was all he got. Negatory. Wu hummed against Mako’s hair. 

Even as Mako’s shoulder relaxed, more and more of his head’s weight resting on Wu’s shoulder, the muscles beneath Wu’s hands, in Mako’s back, and against his hips in Mako’s thighs remained tight, unwilling to lay it on Wu. 

Wu ran his hand up and down Mako’s back in a way he hoped was soothing. “You know I love you, Mako?” 

Mako rubbed his nose against Wu’s shoulder. “Sh.” 

Wu bristled at that. “I tell you I love you and you shush me?” 

Mako exhaled a humorless laugh against his collar and nodded. 

“What the hell,” Wu said, keeping his tone light even as he pushed against Mako’s chest, creating space between them so he could look Mako in the face when he said, “I love you” again. 

Mako rolled his eyes and dipped his chin-- Wu had heard from Korra that, up until shortly before Wu hired Mako all those years ago, Mako had worn a scarf and tended to hide his face in it when at times like this. The habit of tucking his chin didn’t go away, even if the scarf did. 

When Mako pressed his chest against Wu’s hand, he relented and let him rest his forehead against his shoulder once more. “You’re just saying that.” 

Wu furrowed his brows and opened his mouth to ask what that meant, but Mako steamrolled on. 

“Everyone’s just too nice to say otherwise.” 

“What?” Wu asked, hands falling to Mako’s nape and lower back as he wrapped his head around what Mako was saying. Wu wanted to know who said what to make Mako like this. “Who?” 

Mako shrugged. 

“No, you’re gonna have to spell it out for me, pal. Who’s ‘just too nice’?” 

A hum tickled Wu’s throat as Mako slid his arms more securely around Wu’s middle. “Everyone.” 

Wu scoffed playfully. “Even Bolin?” 

Mako nodded against Wu’s shoulder and the furrow between Wu’s brows deepened. “And Korra and Asami.” 

“Now hold it right there--” 

“No, they all hate me.” 

Mako’s breath was heavy and even against Wu’s chest, and Wu tightened his hold on him. “That’s just not true,” he contended. “If they hated you, why would they keep going on triple dates with us?” 

“Because they’re being nice because Bolin.” 

He must be tired if he thought this made any sense, but Wu knew he needed to humor it to talk Mako down. “And why would they be nice to you for Bolin if he hates you too?”

“Because he’s obligated ‘cause we’re brothers,” Mako said, and his voice was taking on the slow, syruppy sadness that Mako only let slip in when he was exhausted or tipsy. 

Wu slid his hand from Mako’s hair down his back, dragging his fingertips over Mako’s smooth skin, to grasp both his hands together at his lower back. “Well, I have solid evidence to the contrary, mister detective.” 

Mako breathed another solemn laugh. “And what’s that.” 

“If they barely tolerate you already, they wouldn’t ever invite you out with  _ me _ because they  _ hate _ me.” 

He could feel Mako frown. “No they don’t.” 

“Oh, they definitely do. I mean, c’mon. I was  _ super _ annoying when they first met me.” 

“Well,” Mako said, clearly wracking his brain for a counter argument. “You’ve grown a lot-- they like you now.” 

“So I’ve gotten better?” he asked, imbuing the question with earnestness he knew Mako couldn’t resist answering to. Mako nodded. “You think they tolerate me?” Mako nodded again. “So if they like me now and they don’t like you, but they put up with me back then because of you… are you saying I’ve gotten more tolerable and you’ve gotten worse?” 

Mako leaned back to look at Wu’s face again, frowning. This time, the circles under his eyes were shockingly obvious. He  _ was _ exhausted, and he was not in the state for Wu to talk it through to him. Wu cupped Mako’s jaw in both hands. 

“You know you better watch it with the way you talk about yourself,” Wu said firmly. “You’re talking about the man I love when you do.” He pulled Mako down for a kiss-- gently, where he could easily pull away if he wanted. 

Apparently he didn’t want to, as he sighed into Wu’s mouth, eyes closing. Wu rubbed his thumbs against Mako’s cheeks the way that always had Mako leaning into his hand-- and now was no exception. 

“Now, you wanna know what I  _ really _ think about you?” Wu said sternly as he pulled away. 

There was a flash of worry in Mako’s eyes before it was replaced by a kind of resignation that made Wu’s heart ache. Mako nodded. 

“ _ I  _ think you’re tired and hungry,” he said, rubbing his thumbs against Mako’s back reassuringly. “So let’s make you a proper meal and get you to bed, and if you feel the same in the morning, well, then I’ll be making some calls to your friends since they apparently don’t appreciate you enough.” 

“Don't…” Mako protested weakly, and Wu squeezed his waist. 

“No! If they hate you they’re gonna have to deal with this guy.” 

Mako frowned at him for a solid ten seconds before a small little smile broke. 

“Now, can I make you something to eat?” 

Mako let himself be dragged to the kitchen, let himself be fed something properly nutritious, and when they ended up back in the bed he let himself be tucked under Wu’s arm, head on his chest and Wu’s hand petting his hair, as Wu finished reading the chapter in his book. When he replaced his bookmark and set the book on the stand once again, he subtly adjusted the sleepy or sleeping Mako so as not to jostle him as he turned off the lamp and settled into the pillows, watching the silhouette of Mako’s head rise and fall with his own breathing and fell asleep with warmth on and in his chest. 

**Author's Note:**

> i just think mako can be hard on himself 😔


End file.
